Latest News
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Below you can find our perspective on all the recent government updates, sector-wide trends and policy changes.
NHS ENGLAND CONTRACT FOR FUNCTIONAL SKILLS ASSESSMENTS CONFIRMED
We are delighted to confirm that we have signed a new contract to deliver Functional Skills assessments on behalf of the NHS in England. NHS England has awarded a contract to Open Awards to provide Functional Skills assessments for health and social care staff where the employer is delivering an NHS-commissioned service. Functional Skills assessments ensure […]
APPRENTICESHIP FUNDING RULE CHANGES – 1st AUGUST 2024
As the 2024/25 academic year starts, we are taking the opportunity to highlight three key changes to apprenticeship funding rules from 1st August 2024. At Open Awards, we have reviewed our End-point Assessment Gateway procedures to make sure we are ready to respond to these changes. If you have any questions about how these changes […]
THE ACCESSIBILITY AND RELEVANCE OF ENTRY-LEVEL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS
Our External Quality Assurance Officer, Kay Taylor provides an insight into the benefits of Entry Level Functional Skills. As someone who used to teach entry level Functional Skills, I see them as providing an accessible route for learners to improve their knowledge in Maths and English. Each level is like a stepping stone to the […]
EMBRACING NEURODIVERSITY AND AUTISM ACCEPTANCE IN THE WORKPLACE
Our Director of Service Delivery Paul Henderson-Griffiths recaps on his time working within supported employment, focusing on the acceptance of neurodiversity and Autism in the workplace. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. For me this journey began over ten years ago while […]
CELEBRATING OUR HEALTH QUALIFICATIONS
As we celebrate World Health Day 2024, our Head of Quality and Standards, Andrew Bardsley, shares his love for our Health Qualifications and explains how they are developed to bridge the skills gap and meet the demand of local authorities across the UK. ‘Open Awards Health Qualifications prepare learners for the health workforce through a […]
OPEN AWARDS WORKING TOWARDS CYBER ESSENTIALS PLUS CERTIFICATION
This week is UK Cyber Week and we are super excited to announce that we are working towards the Cyber Essentials Plus Certification! Our IT, MIS and Data manager, Denise Keogh, explains what this means and why we are taking Cyber Security so seriously…. “Open Awards recognises that robust cybersecurity practices are imperative for organisations to protect […]
OUR COMMITMENT TO BEING AN INCLUSIVE ASSESSMENT ORGANISATIONS
Open Awards has committed to being an inclusive assessment organisation by signing up to Cognassist’s Inclusive Assessment Partner Program. The team at Open Awards will be completing the Neuro-Inclusion Charter training provided by Cognassist and our processes have been updated to acknowledge our Cognitive Report as evidence when considering reasonable adjustments for neuro-different learners. Cognassist strongly believe […]
NEW ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMAS TO SUPPORT LEARNERS PROGRESS TO NURSING AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS
Open Awards is pleased to announce the approval of two new Access to HE qualifications: Access to HE Diploma (Nursing) and Access to HE Diploma (Health Professions). Both qualifications are valid for delivery from September 2024, and adhere to the new QAA subject descriptor for Nursing and Health Professions. For the 2024/25 academic year, Open Awards will be […]
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPEN AWARDS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING JUNE 2024
Yesterday was a bitter sweet today at Open Awards as we held our Annual General Meeting and looked back at the last 12 months. This was a chance to celebrate all the learners who have achieved Open Awards qualifications and courses, and all the training providers that support them through their education programmes. It was […]
Celebrating our health qualifications
As we celebrate World Health Day 2024, our Head of Quality and Standards, Andrew Bardsley, shares his love for our Health Qualifications and explains how they are developed to bridge the skills gap and meet the demand of local authorities across the UK. ‘Open Awards Health Qualifications prepare learners for the health workforce through a […]